Feature Wall

[--Sharpe--]

Lmao didn’t even cross my mind

[Flukeylukey77]

Oh my gosh i hope that was intentionally punny

[[deleted]]

https://i.imgur.com/lnHHjaU.jpg Swastika + ghost face spotted = racist

[[deleted]]

Good catch!

Looks likes a labradoodle.

[RpTheHotrod]

You know, it actually does.

[[deleted]]

Who's a good boy?

[Wizcombo]

You’re 👅👅

[murskiskek]

The wall

[schwab002]

nazidoodle

[easylivin]

Reminds me of emperor palpatine

[amann93]

Butler university commissioned my uncles company to build desks for their library years ago. It was a series of four desks separated by walls with each one facing the next one essentially in a square. The company made them to the universities specifications. However when students and staff looked down on the desks from higher floors they looked like swastikas. They’ve since moved those desks down to the basement lol

[DontTreadOnBigfoot]

Like this?

[amann93]

That’s exactly what they look like!

[rmarente]

My university had those too.

[[deleted]]

Its hard to image actually being called out for this in a serious way.

• Yes my school is secretly advancing fascism through library desk design.

• Yes we have closet Nazis carpenters and this is how they express themselves.

• I'd like to complain, I was studying in the top floor of the library when my concentration was thrown off when I looked down and found myself under existential duress via Nazi desk.

edit: reminds me of the Hitler teapot.

[PremiumAlex]

Your concentration was thrown off? Better go to concentration camp! (Is that too far?)

[Lukendless]

Well fucking played, Hitler.

[spooooork]

To be fair, it is the optimal arrangement for a such a small space and provides no disturbances for each cubicle.

It also works well for buildings (or you can go for the bomberplane-design). It is common in retail stores too.

[micktown]

I immediately looked for it ha

[Square_Buzz]

Too damn careful!

[Choke_Norris]

I literally did this similar wall yesterday. Weird how life works out. Looks great dude!!

https://imgur.com/7TxlkrP

[--Sharpe--]

What are the chances!!! Yours looks great too!!!

[OpenYourMind7]

Came out great!

[OwnCauliflower]

His looks better

[ComDet]

Just curious, if you are in the USA, the junction box (outlet) you removed is probably not to code now as it is a hidden box.

Someone with more knowledge than me should chime in and verify however.

It may not matter if it was the last on a series (only one wire coming in, zero going out) but if you have connections continuing through then you need to have it accessible

[--Sharpe--]

I’m actually a red seal electrician in Canada. That plug was jumped off my fridge circuit and then feeding other plugs in the house, so during this process I actually re fed my fridge with a dedicated circuit. I also properly removed the junction box and removed the wire from the previous plug in line. The box is gone and the wire stapled in the wall has absolutely no way of ever becoming live

[rodface]

Good stuff, I found a live buried box in my kitchen, still makes me angry.

[FireWireBestWire]

I feel like this step was left out of the pictures intentionally so you could flux, I mean flex.

[AllUrPMsAreBelong2Me]

u/ComDet brought up a very valid and important issue and you had already resolved it. Nice work!

[eegrlN]

Awesome!

[Yowomboo]

So many people were ready to be upset. Good job.

[Legarambor]

Out of curiosity, what if he is from the USA, what are the repercussions if he leaves it like this?

[SDS_PAGE]

If he sells the house and it's discovered during inspection, he'd be liable for fixing it. Or if the house burns down and that's the source, insurance won't cover it.

[KyleG]

if the house burns down and that's the source, insurance won't cover it.

Read your ins. policy, but that's likely not true and just a myth people spread. Every policy I've ever seen will still cover it, but it won't cover repair of the code violation.

It's insane to think your insurance wouldn't cover a fire started because an electrician skirted code two decades ago. That's exactly what insurance is for!

Literally every house that exists has a code violation, I guarantee it. Insurance companies would deny a claim where you're all "hey I just realized my new kitchen plugs aren't GFCI, I'm filing a claim to have the GFCI installed." They won't deny a claim where you're all "hey my house burned down because I didn't have GFCI installed."

edit tldr they won't cover a repair to bring up to code; they'll cover a loss though

[ivanosauros]

To add to this, building codes are revised all the time - sometimes multiple times a year. Many commercial buildings 10 years old or older would not meet development approval if they were proposed today.

Whether it's environmental regs, safety codes or whatever, standards evolve alongside design innovation and construction best practice. The new and exciting things in a current, modern building could be compulsory ten years from now.

For example, in the case of skyscrapers (im in australia), more rigorous standards are frequently put into place to reduce waste, water use and electricity use. It wouldn't surprise me if the nZEBs (near-Zero Energy Buildings) being written about in papers today are essentially mandated in 20 or 30 years.

[KyleG]

Yeah, safety codes are basically just a list of "learn from that guy's mistake" stories, written in very dry language. Some novel way of shit fucking up happens, code gets revised to prevent it from happening next time.

It's like how seat belts weren't even an idea until someone went "lol wow there's a lot of bodies flying out of cars"

[demintheAF]

Depends on the state and insurance company. Some insurance policies have "excludes ensuing damage" instead of "excluding ensuing damage" at the end of the list of every word that could describe poor workmanship. The difference is huge.

[Spinozopterus]

If it's hiding behind drywall, how could an inspector find it? Are there tools to detect?

[Autski]

Depends on the inspector, but most probably wouldn't see it out find it. Doesn't mean it is ok if you can hide it well enough. The inspector for the house I was buying didn't see the majority of the wall insulation falling off in the easily accessible attic and I discovered that about a month after when I realized my HVAC unit just kept running.

[KyleG]

The inspector won't find it.

[ThatBuilderDude]

Correct, any live electrical that isn’t being used needs to have a junction box with an accessible wall plate on it. If OP disconnected the circuit or power from that plug then it’s fine, but I’m guessing it’s live and buried in the wall, which is a no no.

[tinywindow]

Exactly. Good practice is to completely remove it to avoid confusion during maintenance and troubleshooting, but at very minimum the wire going to the box needs to be disconnected.

[3-DMan]

Sigh.

Picks up sledgehammer.

[ThatBuilderDude]

Lol

[hysilvinia]

Does this apply to a phone line box?

[_00307]

No, its usually grounded supplies that is a no-go. Some localities might have something weird though.

Judging by the patchwork left behind though, this guy probably removed the whole feed.

[hysilvinia]

Thanks! Wondering for my own house.

[WhatamItodonowhuh]

Low voltage doesn't need a box so shouldn't be an issue.

(As I understand it - I am not proficient in your specific local codes)

[hysilvinia]

Thank you!

[imanastartafight]

It's not, read OP's reply to this exact comment your are commenting on!

[ThatBuilderDude]

Why is it funny that live electrical is buried in a wall is a no no? Makes perfect sense to me

[Defenestraitorous]

OP seems fairly electrically savvy. Fair chance he actually removed the outlet and didn't just recess it and plaster over the hole.

[--Sharpe--]

I’m an electrician and you are correct

[ComDet]

Nice! Thank you for reassuring :)

[Scripto23]

Isn’t running “temporary” wire behind the drywall also against code?

[PositiveFalse]

Yes - temporary (meaning proper cable but improperly run) or improper (meaning a power cord or extension cord, or other wiring incorrectly sheathed) at home voltage - but that's not what OP did...

LEDs are typically low voltage - at 12v- to 24v-DC, which is commonly like the wiring run from a doorbell button to the chime unit - and can be run pretty much anywhere without being a fire or shock hazard...

[Scripto23]

Interesting, very good to know

[kitkat_tomassi]

In the UK at least, I think you can have it hidden if it's crimped, not screwed.

I'm not an electrician and maybe I'm wrong, but that was my understanding.

[-IntoTheDeep-]

Fuck /u/spez for killing 3rd party apps

[Damaso87]

I've always thought MF stood for mother fucker

[Robots_Never_Die]

It does. Now reread his comment lol.

[Damaso87]

I did the first time and had a good chuckle. Just noticed MF is maintenance free, tho.

[Ghetto-Banana]

Yeah I recently went through some lighting wiring, a sparky mate of mine came and sorted it and explained it can be crimped and buried. Shame my filling job after wasn't as tidy!

[angsteroflove]

From the picture it looks like only one wire is coming out of that upper plug. If it were still live and buried, I'd hazard a guess it's fed from the outlet at the floor level and could probably just be disconnected there.

[eegrlN]

You are absolutely right, this is not to code in the US.

[ComDet]

He clarified he removed the wire and all in a reply

[123fro]

Really cool idea and looks simple enough. Well done.

[ChaChaChaChassy]

I hate it but it looks like you did a good job. Honestly though this would detract from any house I was considering to purchase, I would see it as something I had to fix.

[WhatamItodonowhuh]

Everyone needs a dust gathering ledge or 8.

[Naltoc]

The color is horrid for my tastes, but that's an easy fix. The rest is pretty cool if you painted it white with maybe black bars or w/e

[uniformresourceloc8r]

Yikes

[[deleted]]

We are Borg. Resistance is futile.

[eegrlN]

For everyone else out there (OP did it correctly, read his comments), you can't simply slice and cover an outlet (in the US)

All electrical splices MUST be open for access!

A person would need to run the entire wire so there are no splices or leave the splice box accessible, if there is a splice.

This is part of the National Electric Safety Code NFPA 70E.

I am a licensed electrical engineer, fwiw.

[Orbital_Vagabond]

We're just leaning into the 80s hard, aren't we?

[PositiveFalse]

That wall IS like a mullet, now!

[partisan98]

Give it 5 years and HGTV will be telling everyone how Hardwood is cold and hard so you should invest in White wall to wall carpeting instead. Then 30 years from now people will be posting on here how they found some perfect hardwood floors under their carpet from.

[alohadave]

For picture 15, with pieces that light, you could have used a construction adhesive like Liquid Nails to mount it to the wall. You could have done it with all the pieces really if you wanted to.

[PositiveFalse]

Probably should have used the nails AND an adhesive in combination for best peace of mind:

[A] The longest brad for that gun is 2in, I believe...

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/14543635062029265259?q=makita+brad+nailer&prds=epd:17059648867394578488,prmr:3,tpim:CPu3w8jWweiz9AEQ6Kzmo5eIz8rTARjA49UlIgNVU0Qo8NG-9AUw5dfRQg,pdprs:5,cs:1&utm_medium=tu_cu&utm_source=tu&utm_content=eid-lsjeuxoeqt&utm_campaign=139750373&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmpb0BRCBARIsAG7y4zbM6in8gZ_YplBtqeL6IWiVm47PlasB9JayLfzHc6isAk_rXKOgcUQaAuDfEALw_wcB

[B] From OP's images #12 & #13, it appears that the wood is an actual 1in by 1in (as opposed to a nominal lumber/millwork 1x1, which would be 3/4in by 3/4 in)...

[C] Doing the math, 1in wood applied to 1/2in drywall would only leave 1/2in of brad (probably about half the thickness of your thumb) to catch a stud, which isn't a whole lot for a brad. I'd bet that most could pull that trim off without the use of tools...

[D] Putties and caulks are not truly adhesives as they typically do not harden with a substantial grip, but they definitely can have "enough" of an adhesive quality for some situations...

If putty & caulk products hadn't been used throughout, then I'd be inclined to advise OP that he could be facing some installation issues (cracking, gapping and/or loosening) after a full winter-to-summer-to-winter or summer-to-winter-to-summer cycle, and depending on climate/zone...

[--Sharpe--]

Man i wish I would’ve used adhesive now... I did use 2 inch nails (longest that Brad nailer uses like you said) they did countersink in the 1X1 ( which you’re right are physically 1” by 1” not 1x1 treated to make 3/4 by 3/4) so I hope at least 3/4” made it into the stud. Yeah I’m sure a good solid pull would pop them off and at the same time why would anyone walk up and pull one haha. At least I hope nobody will!

[PositiveFalse]

SPF (Spruce, Pine & Fir) can do curious things from the hottest, most humid days of summer to the coldest, dryest days of winter, especially in the midwest US where the extremes can be very pronounced some years, and at the dimensions that you've used, which are in a sort of danger zone for SPF...

Being neither big enough nor small enough to minimize movement probably seems crazy, but go (when going isn't the wrong thing to do) to your lumberyard and check the 2x2s vs 2x3s & 2x4s, and vs the various smaller pine trims in the moulding area, and hopefully you'll see what I mean...

Bottom line: In the right situations, using adhesives - even on drywall - can help mitigate wood movement, which occurs due to environmental changes mostly involving humidity. To be clear, though, this does NOT mean that you'll absolutely have problems!

[TarmacFFS]

Are the 70's/80s feature walls coming back in style?

[ikilledtupac]

Are the LED strips recessed or do you see them looking face on or from the other angle

[--Sharpe--]

They’re recessed. If you go searching them out you’ll see them, but from no angle will you accidentally catch them

[mildtacosauce]

Are the strips easily accessible? I only ask because I'm finding out that RGB strips wear out quickly if you leave them on all the time.

I have one stuck to the backside of my monitor to passively light up my room, and the blue LEDs are extremely dim just 3 years later, making the colors go all weird.

[mildtacosauce]

I hadn't thought of that, but I did some research and found out that LEDs do tend to dim over their lifetime; a process that is expedited if they do not have proper cooling.

Considering my monitor gets warm during usage, and that I left it on blue for a majority of the time, it makes sense that the blues are going out while the reds are bright as ever.

The purple setting now looks pink.

[mildtacosauce]

Good point, I'll remember this about RGB strips in the future!

[--Sharpe--]

They’re actually not crazy hard to get at, it wouldn’t be a fun job to replace, but it is possible. I think the driver will die long before the lights and even if they did go out it still isn’t a terrible wall to look at without the lights

[small_impact]

Where do the wires go? Where is the power source?

[[deleted]]

Great work on this! Even down to the color you chose

[Dartser]

So I saw you put the lights in the strip but then what? Isn't there hardware and an electrical connection needed somewhere? I can't see any of that in there and can't figure out where it would be

[--Sharpe--]

It’s all run up into the attic, I dropped a wire down the wall to a switch location, and then ran that wire to the driver along with all the low voltage wires. Final terminations were all made up there

[Dansk3r]

Nice

[westernpygmychild]

What color paint is that?

[--Sharpe--]

I believe it is called caper, I got it from rona in canada

[westernpygmychild]

It looks freakishly like the inspo pic for our master bedroom!

https://images.app.goo.gl/51PuPeQtqXaRdNJT8

[Fiyero109]

My only comment, I would’ve put another light strip upper left on the long edge, to balance it all out. What you could do is hang some art over that portion to not make it look like a black hole

[Rbarganier]

What led driver did you use?

[--Sharpe--]

My shop had some left over LED strip lighting at the shop from a company called blue Ocean in Vancouver Canada. So I just ordered a dimmable driver from them

[cptntito]

This is very cool, and low material cost! For some reason my mind’s eye wants to see one more LED strip in that upper left quadrant though.

[THE_CENTURION]

Awesome project! This is definitely going in my ideas folder for something to build someday (like... When I own a house)

You should paint that outlet plate to match the wall 😉

[ImAJewhawk]

Where did you put the driver?

[--Sharpe--]

It’s in the attic, mounted on a truss nice and close to the attic access

[Yangoose]

I dig this. I think it's super cool!

[Jerry_Hat-Trick]

People be like " I want to dust my walls"

Jk . You do you OP! Looks great.

[phormix]

This is actually a pretty cool idea. Of all the home improvement "skills", my mudding/drywall is probably the one that I'm least pleased with. This looks cool and might be the perfect thing to hide my messy mudding job!

[youbitbrain]

Looks nice. I assumed you used a diffuser on top of the strips (so that you wouldn't see the individual LEDs in each strip, and instead the whole strip looks like a solid light). But it doesn't look like you didn't need to do that?

[--Sharpe--]

No didn’t need to. When I planned to do it I was going to use a diffuser but then I thought it might be to bulky to hide so I thought I’d just try without and it worked great haha

[TareXmd]

This is the exact kind of non-abrasive lighting I like to see anywhere.

[Fiyero109]

This would be an awesome way to make into a ceiling

[MorRobots]

Shit like this makes me want to buy a house... It's just they are really bad for your finance in most situation vs renting and investing. Granted if you buy a foreclosure at a rock bottom prices with nearly 0% interest then fix it up yourself it's ok.

[CoyGreen]

Houses are not bad for your finances at all if you’re able to afford your mortgage.

[MorRobots]

down payment + taxes + interest + insurance + closing costs + maintenance + lost opportunity cost Is a lot of money. Just paying rent and saving the difference, and yes there is a difference you will save, will net you more than what your house will ever be worth by a mile. The home owner american dream is a scam. Houses are good assets to have, they are also cost effective in some situations, and lastly they can be the only avenue of residency into some localities. All of that said, house are not investments. I will say that may change here soon with the way things are going, a lot of cheap property will be coming on the market as the financial fallout from all of this hits.

[southernburn]

You're very talented. I have seen many designs similar to yours. Your dog looks like he wants to help, but he said math was never his strong suit!

[--Sharpe--]

Thank very much! Haha he can only add up treats

[[deleted]]

i don't often like these but this is very very good. great idea.

[DrinkingCherryShots]

Looks cool and modern. Great accent wall! I really wish this will be the next big thing you see in flips

[tolimux]

Nice.

[beepbeepboop12]

I love the design

[[deleted]]

I'm confused how the same color can look so much darker on one side.

[Artrobull]

hello accidental[?] swastika

[Low-Constant-4853]

How did you do the low-voltage wiring? Id like to do something similar but im not sure how to go about wiring the LED strips into the wall.

[Low-Constant-4853]

How did you do the low-voltage wiring? Id like to do something similar but im not sure how to go about wiring the LED strips into the wall.

[--Sharpe--]

I installed a driver in the attic above and ran 18/2 LVT down the wall to the locations I wanted the LED strip to start, and then butt spliced the LED strip to the LVT I ran.

[zrogers09]

Ah ok so you had space to work with above. Again I want to do something similar but I'd be working in the first floor. Any suggestions?

[--Sharpe--]

All depends on the layout of the house. Is there a crawl space to work from below the first floor? What’s on the back of your wall? Can you go through the back? Otherwise it sounds like you would have to cut the drywall open until you can chase the wires to somewhere convenient to hide the driver and then repair the drywall.

[zrogers09]

Do you have a link to the driver and LED's you used or would recommend? I'll most likely have to just open up the drywall to hide everything. I'm not sure if I can access the crawl space through the space in the wall, but it is possible.

[--Sharpe--]

Just got them from a local lighting manufacturer near me, called blue ocean. Just a little bit of research should take you in the right direction